The Pastry War
Date November 1838 - March 1839 Location Mexico Result French victory
Belligerents
France	Mexico
Strength
30,000	3,000

The Pastry War (Spanish: Guerra de los pasteles) was an invasion of Mexico by French forces in 1838. | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico_(1823-1864,_1867-1968). ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Background

The war arose from the widespread civil disorder that plagued the early years of the Mexican republic. In 1828, President Manuel Gómez Pedraza ejected Lorenzo de Zavala from the office of governor of the state of México. Zavala, supported by Antonio López de Santa Anna, was able to rally most of the garrison in Mexico City (then a part of México state) to his aid. Four days of fighting in Mexico City resulted in Zavala winning and installing a new president, Vicente Guerrero. Due to the fighting in the streets, a great deal of personal property was destroyed. The average citizen had little recourse for damages suffered. They had no consuls, or representatives to speak on their behalf. Foreigners whose property was damaged or destroyed by rioters or bandits were usually unable to obtain compensation from the government, and began to appeal to their own governments for help. Despite the repeated French claims, the French government let the matter subside. Manuel Gómez Pedraza Manuel Gómez Pedraza was president of Mexico from 1832 to 1833. ... Lorenzo de Zavala (October 3, 1788 – November 16, 1836) was a 19th-century Mexican politician. ... The United Mexican States, or Mexico, is a federal republic, comprising 31 states. ... Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (February 21, 1794 – June 21, 1876), often known as Santa Anna, was a Mexican political leader who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government, first fighting against the independence from Spain... Vicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña (August 10, 1782 – February 14, 1831) was one of the leaders of Mexicos struggle for independence from Spain and an early President of Mexico. ...

War

In 1838 a French pastry cook, Monsieur Remontel, claimed his shop in the Tacubaya district of Mexico City had been ruined by looting Mexican officers in 1828. He appealed to France's King Louis-Philippe (1773–1850). Coming to its citizen's aid, France demanded 600,000 pesos in damages. This amount was extremely high when compared to an average workman's daily pay, which was about one peso. In addition to this amount, Mexico had defaulted on millions of dollars worth of loans from France. Diplomat Baron Deffaudis gave Mexico an ultimatum to pay, or the French would demand satisfaction. When the payment was not forthcoming from president Anastasio Bustamante (1780–1853), the king sent a fleet under Rear Admiral Charles Baudin to declare a blockade of all Mexican ports from Yucatán to the Rio Grande, to bombard the Mexican fortress of San Juan de Ulúa, and to seize the port of Veracruz. Virtually the entire Mexican Navy was captured at Veracruz by December 1838. Mexico declared war on France. Basket of western-style pastries, for breakfast Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pastries For the Pastry Distributed Hash Table, see Pastry (DHT). ... Observatorio Line 1 Juanacatlán Constituyentes Line 7 San Pedro de los Pinos current terminus Line 9 Patriotismo Metro Tacubaya is a station on the Mexico City Metro. ... Louis-Philippe I, King of the French (October 6, 1773 – August 26, 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. ... Anastasio Bustamante (July 27, 1780, Jiquilpan Michoacán—February 6, 1853, San Miguel de Allende, Querétaro) was president of Mexico three times, from 1830 to 1832, from 1837 to 1839 and from 1839 to 1841. ... Charles Baudin (born 1792 in Sedan, France; died June 7, 1854 at Ischia, Italy), was a French admiral, whose naval service extended from the First Empire through the early days of the Second Empire. ... Location within Mexico Country Capital Municipalities 106 Government  - Governor Ivonne Ortega Pacheco PRI  - Federal Deputies PAN: 4 PRI: 1  - Federal Senators Hugo Laviada (PAN) Alfredo Rodríguez (PAN) Cleominio Zoreda (PRI) Area Ranked 20th  - State 38,402 km²  (14,827. ... “Río Bravo” redirects here. ... San Juan de Ulúa is a large fortress on an island overlooking the seaport of Veracruz, Mexico. ...

With trade cut off, the Mexicans began smuggling imports into Corpus Christi, Texas, and then into Mexico. Fearing that France would blockade Texan ports as well, a battalion of men of the Republic of Texas force began patrolling Corpus Christi Bay to stop Mexican smugglers. One smuggling party abandoned their cargo of about a hundred barrels of flour on the beach at the mouth of the bay, thus giving "Flour Bluff" its name. The United States, ever watchful of its relations with Mexico, sent the schooner Woodbury to help the French in their blockade. Talks between the Kingdom of France and the Texan nation occurred and France agreed not to offend the soil or waters of the Republic of Texas. Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country State Counties Nueces, San Patricio Government  - Mayor Henry Garrett Area  - City 460. ... For the latter day independence movement surrounding Texas, see Republic of Texas (group). ... Kingdom of France Capital Paris Language(s) French Government Monarchy King of the French  - 1830-1848 Louis-Phillipe Legislature Parliament  - Upper house Chamber of Peers  - Lower house Chamber of Deputies History  - July Revolution 1830  - Revolution of 1848 1848 Currency French Franc The July Monarchy (1830-1848) was a period of...

The battle celebrated as Cinco de Mayo has occasionally been mistaken as taking place in this war. It did not. It was connected with a later (1862) invasion of Mexico orchestrated by Napoleon III. Cinco de Mayo (5th of May in English) is primarily a regional and not an obligatory federal holiday in Mexico. ...

Santa Anna's role

Meanwhile, acting without explicit government authority, Santa Anna came out of retirement from his hacienda near Xalapa and surveyed Veracruz. He asked the government to use his services, and he was immediately ordered to fight the French by any means necessary. He led Mexican forces against the French and in a skirmish with the rear guard of the French, Santa Anna was wounded in the leg by French grapeshot. His leg had to be amputated. Exploiting his wounds with eloquent propaganda, Santa Anna catapulted back to power. Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (February 21, 1794 – June 21, 1876), often known as Santa Anna, was a Mexican political leader who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government, first fighting against the independence from Spain... Xalapa Cathedral Xalapa (or Jalapa) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz. ...

With the diplomatic intervention of Great Britain, eventually President Bustamante promised to pay the 600,000 pesos and the French forces withdrew on 9 March 1839. is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

References

• Nofi, Albert A.; The Alamo and the Texas War for Independence; Da Capo Press; ISBN 0-306-80563-4
• Warner, Michael S.; Consise Encyclopedia of Mexico; Fitzroy Dearborn.